A father's acceptance
by Khvamp
Summary: What if Kerchak had not rejected Tarzan as his son
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the characters or anything but the story. I have always felt that one of Kerchak's biggest problems with Tarzan was that his arrival was so soon after the loss of his and Kala's son, that he hadn't really had a chance to grieve properly. Suddenly his mate brings back a child that not even the same species as them and just expects him to accept it as his own, when he still hurting. So in this story some time has passed between the two events.**

Kerchak was leading the group of gorillas quickly through the forest, as they needed to reach their next camping spot by nightfall. He turned his head to check that everyone was keeping up and his eyes stopped on his mate Kala. He let out a deep sigh as he watched her walking slowly at the back of the group, with her head down. It had been a few months since their son had been killed by Sabor and Kala was still suffering from it. Kerchak had done everything he could think of to lift her spirits but nothing worked.

He was hurting from the loss as well, but he had many gorillas that relied on him so he tried not to let it show. Kala made no effort to hide the pain she still felt and Kerchak hated seeing her so miserable, he would do anything to see her smile again. They continue traveling while he tries to come up with anything that might even a little bit. Sometime later he looked back to check on the group again, but when his eyes swept over back, he quickly noticed Kala wasn't there.

He hurriedly scanned the rest of the group only to conclude that she was definitely not among them. "Has anyone seen Kala?" He asked his family of gorillas. Everyone looked around before they all shook their heads and said they hadn't. Where the heck had she gone? Kercheck thought to himself. He immediately wanted to back and search for her, but he also knew how important it was to get the rest of his family safely to the nest site.

He finally decided they would look for a little while and if they didn't find her, then he would get the rest of them settled before going to search by himself. They backtracked for a little bit, but couldn't find any sign of her and Kerchak was growing more worried the longer she was missing. Just then Kala's an his niece Terkina shouted "Look mama, look over there." He looked around and to his great relief saw kala coming towards them.

He then noticed that she was running on only three limbs, with one of her arms close to her chest like she was holding something. Curiously he made his way to her, while several gorillas already had her surrounded as soon as she had stopped and were pelting her with questions about if she was okay and where she had gone. Kerchak heard her say reassuringly to the group "Yes, I'm fine, really. I just got a little side tracked."

There was a gasp from the group surrounding her when she revealed whatever she was holding, though Kerchak couldn't see past the crowd to see what it was. The conversation continued as Kerchak pushed through the crowd to see what was going on. The scene that greeted him was of Terk holding an odd looking creature. It looked sort of like a gorilla baby it had no fur except for on its head and it skin was a very pale color. He also noticed his feet were oddly shaped and it had a something white wrapped around its bottom.

Terk was playing with the little creature, bouncing it lightly up and down and he heard her say "You know he is not so bad once you get used to him." When Kerchak stepped closer she stopped and quickly handed it back to Kala while saying "Kala's going to be its mother now." Kerchak couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing. He sniffed at the little creature, nose twitching at it's odd scent. Kala spoke gently "I saved him from Sabor."

Kerchak eyes widened slightly when he heard before he sighed and stated "It won't replace the one we lost." "I know that, but he needs me." Kala responded while smiling tenderly at the baby. Kerchak first instinct was to tell her no. The creature wasn't one of them and there was no way it would work, but what stopped him was for the first time in a long time his mate's face held something other than grief. Her expression was soft as she looked at little thing with out a hint of the pain that had been there.

Quietly he asked "Was it alone?" "Yes Sabor killed his family." Kala answered. "Are you sure?" he questioned, wanting to be confident that no one would come looking for him. "Yes, there are no others." Kala assured him. He looked back at the little boy before carefully lifting one of his hand to gently stroke his head lightly, only to have him grab a hold of his finger. Kerchak felt something warm blossom in his chest at the baby's grip and he looked up at Kala before saying "He can stay."

Kala smiled happily at that "Thank you Kerchak, I know he'll make a good son." Kerchak nodded slightly at that, but before he could say anything, Terk suddenly popped up next to him asking "So whatcha gonna call it?" Kala pulled the baby's foot from his mouth as she responded "I'm going to call him... Tarzan." She looked at Kerchak then who smiled slightly at the name before he turned away from them.

He then called to the rest of the group "We will nest here for the night." Everyone started settling down for the night and he looked for a good place to build his and Kala's own nest. He had just finished it as Kala came over to him, while singing a quiet lullaby to a crying Tarzan until he calmed down. As they settled into the nest with Tarzan still cradled in Kala's arms, Kerchak couldn't help but think that maybe he was wrong, maybe this could work after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own the characters or anything but the story.**

Kerchak was abruptly woken by something hitting him the face and he opened his eyes to see that he had been kicked by his small son, who was still asleep. A small smile appeared on his face as looked down at his son, who turned over to snuggle closer to his sleeping mother. It had been a couple years since they had found the child, but he was still quite small, especially compared to gorilla children of the same age. Despite this, Tarzan was always strongly determined in his efforts to keep up with his peers.

Kerchak carefully extracted himself from the nest, trying to not wake his sleeping family, so that he could check on the others. While a few were still snoozing, most of the gorillas were already up eating and talking, while the children ran around under the watchful eyes of their mothers. They had settled in this area a few days before and Kerchak planned for them to stay there for at least a couple weeks more.

He wandered around the area they had set up camp making sure all was well and there were no problems. After he was done he made his way back to his mate and son to see they were now awake and eating some assorted fruits. "Daddy!" Tarzan exclaimed upon seeing him before waving him over to join them. He smiled slightly as he did so, before grabbing a mango and taking a large bite. As they ate Tarzan chattered incessantly about anything and everything.

Kerchak and Kala both had to tell him to slow down and eat more than once. Kerchak felt so content right now, just spending a typical morning with his family and more grateful then ever that Kala had found and brought home Tarzan. As they were finishing up, Terk came running over and very nearly tackled Tarzan to the ground, but Kerchak put out a hand to stop her. 'Terk, not so rough." Kala scolded gently.

Terk backed off a bit looking sheepish. "Sorry, but can Tarzan come play." She asked eagerly. Kerchak nodded when his son looked at him expectantly, but also told him "Stay close." Tarzan nodded energetically before taking off with Terk to go play with the other children. While he kept an eye on his son, Kerchak took a moment to relax for a little while, something that was hard to do lot of being the leader of the gorillas. But the camp was secure and there was no major emergences that needed attending to, so he felt safe laying back for a minute.

He turned to look at Kala, who was watching Tarzan racing around the camp trying to catch Terk and the other young gorillas, with a warm smile on her face. He placed a hand on her arm and she turned towards him still smiling before saying "He is growing up to such a headstrong little boy." Kerchak nodded in agreement. His son from the beginning had been at a disadvantage when it came to being a gorilla, but that didn't stop him from trying his hardest.

He was about to respond to Kala when he hears someone cry out "Tarzan!" and he quickly whips his head around. To his horror he see his son dangling several feet off the ground on a branch of one of the trees surrounding the camp. Without a second thought, he bolts across the camp and just manages to get under Tarzan before he falls, landing on Kerchak back rather than the ground.

Kala, who had right behind Kerchak, quickly pulls Tarzan off her mate's back to check him over. After it was determined that his son was fine, Kerchak glanced over to the other children who were standing around the tree Tarzan had been in and saw they had various expressions of shock, guilt and relief. "What happened?" he asked, barely stopping himself from growling at the children.

Terk stepped forward and said hesitantly "Tarzan was annoyed he couldn't catch any of us. Then Mungo decided to mock him, by saying he wasn't a very good gorilla, as he couldn't even climb a tree and so Tarzan decided to take that as a challenge and I'm sorry Kerchak, I should have stopped him. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Near the end of her explanation Terk started to speak faster her voice sounding slightly hysterical.

He let out a deep sigh before saying "Calm down, You didn't mean any harm." Terk nodded, though she still looked a little upset and Kerchak sent her and the others back to their families. He turned back to his mate and son to see that Tarzan was being held tight in his mother's arms with a downtrodden expression. He made an effort to make his tone gentle before he asked "Tarzan what were you thinking? You could of gotten seriously hurt."

Tarzan refused to look up as he spoke miserably "I hate how everybody is better than me at everything. My friends are faster than me and even the ones littler than me are better climbers , but I can't do it." Kerchak grimaced, he knew that Tarzan wasn't old enough to realize the reason he struggled so much was because he wasn't actually a gorilla. As much as he loved his son, it didn't change that fact and it was expected he might not be able to everything they could.

Kerchak didn't tell Tarzan any of this, instead he carefully lifted his son's chin so he was looking at him. "Listen my son, I know it is hard, but you have to be patient and I am sure you will get there eventually." Kala's voice broke in then "That right Tarzan, you will learn at your own pace, so don't compare yourself to others."

Tarzan still looked doubtful so Kerchak stated "Trust me Tarzan, you are determined enough that I know if you put your mind to it nothing is going to be able to stop you." Finally Tarzan gave him a small smile before asking "You really think so?" "I do." He said firmly. Tarzan smile widened and he broke out of Kala's embrace to hug Kerchak. Kerchak hesitated before wrapping his arm around his son. As he held him close he couldn't help but promise to himself to do everything he could to make sure his son had the best life possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own the characters or anything but the story.**

Kerchak heard a growl of frustration from his son's throat before Tarzan launched himself at Terk, only to be quickly pinned down once again. Kerchak felt a wave of sympathy for the child plight, as the two had been wrestling for while now and Terk had won every single time. While a part of him had been worried when Terk had first started to try and teach Tarzan to fight, he had allowed it as it was a necessary skill for him to learn.

He did make sure that himself or someone else was watching the matches to make sure they didn't escalate in to something harmful. He knew he might be being just a little overprotective, as Terk would never hurt Tarzan on purpose, but he couldn't stop himself from worrying. He gazed around at the other gorillas lounging around him.

They had been traveling for a good part of the day, so Kerchak decided they could take a small break before they finished making their way to the area Kerchak plan for them to nest. The children had decided to use the time to playfully wrestle with one another and Tarzan had immediately challenged Terk. While he had fiercely determined at the beginning, as time wore on it was clear he was getting more and more aggravated.

Kerchak turned back to the two just in time to see his son lose once again and figured he should call a halt to it, before his son got too upset by his continually losses. He calls out to the group "Alright everyone we need to head out if we are going to reach the site by nightfall." The children stopped their wrestling, to go find their parents and Kerchak picked up Tarzan to settle him on his back, making sure he was secure.

Tarzan was unusually quiet for a little while as they traveled and Kerchak wasn't sure if he was just tired or if something was wrong. He was about to ask his son if he was alright when Tarzan suddenly spoke up. "Why's everyone stronger than me? Why can't I win?" He said despairingly. Kerchak's stride faltered at the sadness in his sons voice and he tried to think of a response that would reassure him.

He eventually replied "I know you will win if you keep working at it my son. You are already better than you were." While Tarzan had yet to beat any of the other gorilla children while wrestling, a couple of them did now have a harder time pinning him than they did at the beginning. However since Terk appeared to be best wrestler of the young children, Tarzan had gotten in his head that if he could beat her than he would prove himself just as capable as the others.

"But why do I have to work so much harder than everyone else?" Tarzan asked imploringly. "It's just how it is. Everyone has obstacles they must overcome in life." Kerchak answered carefully. He was sure it wouldn't be too long that Tarzan would realize how truly different he was to his family, but Kerchak wanted to put that conversation off for as long as possible.

Tarzan when quiet again and Kerchak was worried about where his thoughts had gone. Then a small smirk touched his lips as an idea came to him. "You know if you're still worried about fighting, I could teach you a few things." "Really?" Came Tarzan eager voice and Kerchak could feel him bouncing excitedly on his back. His smiled at his success while he answered "Of course." "Yay, Thanks, daddy."

The next few minutes was spent listening to Tarzan talk about how since his daddy was the strongest and best gorilla, Terk wouldn't stand a chance when Kerchak trained him. He was trying not grin at his son's enthusiasm when another conversation caught his attention.

Two females of the group, Tali and Faya, were walking nearby and speaking in hushed tones and what they were saying made him furious. "I just don't understand why Kerchak ever let that little freak ever stay." Faya stated. Tali nodded in agreement "It's not like he'll ever actually be one of us." It took every bit of self control Kerchak had not to over there and rip into them. His son was still on his back and appeared to not have heard the two if his continuous chatter was anything to by.

He took a moment to calm down as much as he could before he spoke "Tarzan, why don't you go find your mother and tell her about it." Thankfully his son was too excited to notice that was something off in his tone. He just happily slid off his back before running back through the group to Kala.

Once he was far enough away Kerchak heads over to the still conversing gorillas who look over at him as he approaches. He barely holds back a growl as tell them in a low angry voice "If I ever hear you speak about my son like that again you will deeply regret it." He then turn around and walked away before they can do more gape at him.

As they finally reached their destination and Kerchak did his typical routine of making sure that the area was secured and everyone got settled, he couldn't stop himself from reflecting on what happened. He knew that not everyone had been pleased when he made his decision to let Tarzan stay, but they respected Kerchak leadership enough not to say anything. He had assumed after a while that they had accepted his presence amongst them.

He had apparently been wrong and it made him wonder how many others had problem with Tarzan. No one had shown any open hostility to his son, for which he was grateful, but it meant he had no idea who actually was against taking him in. He cared for every member of his family and he hope he would not have to start a fight with any of them over his son. He tried to force these thoughts out of his head as there was no use in worrying about it right now.

As he laid down that night with Kala and Tarzan he instead focused on his plans to teach his son to fight. With all the dangers in the jungle Tarzan knowing how defend himself properly would be a good thing and his son would be happy just to have a bit of an advantage over his groupmates. As he fell asleep it was to thought of the triumphant smile that would be on his son face when he finally wins against Terk.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own the characters or anything but the story.**

Kala couldn't keep a the affectionate smile off her face as watched her mate and son. Tarzan was basically vibrating in place as he gazed at his father expectantly, waiting for him to start their lesson. They were standing in a small clearing a little away from the other gorillas so they would have room, but Kerchak could still be close by if he was needed. Kala wasn't close enough to hear what was being said, as Kerchak started instructing Tarzan, but she loved watching the two interact.

When she had first found Tarzan, she had initially been a little worried about Kerchak's reaction because he was typically wary if about things he didn't know about. She had honestly expected a little more resistance from him, but he had surprised her on how easily he had accepted Tarzan as their son. Kala would admit that it wasn't always easy raising a child that wasn't a gorilla as one, but the two of them together were managing it.

She had known almost instantly upon discovering Tarzan as a little baby, that no matter what she was going to keep him and raise him as her own. Even if everyone else had been against her, there was no way she was giving him up and she was grateful that most of the others had pretty much accepted this.

She pulled back from her thoughts of the past to watch as her son suddenly ran towards Kerchak, like he was to tackle him only to be stopped by her mate with one hand. Kerchak then appeared to be explaining something to Tarzan while adjusting how he was standing. As the lesson continued, several times Tarzan would attempted to do something one way only to have Kerchak stop him and show him the correct way.

Kala stayed there and watched until her stomach growled and she realized she was quite hungry, so she headed off to look for some fruit trees. It had been sometime since they ate that morning, so she figured her mate and son would like some food as well. Soon she was back with some papayas, apples and bananas that she carried over to the other two.

Just before she reached them she called out "Okay boys I think it's time for a break." They both turned to her and Tarzan smiled when he saw what she was holding. "Thanks mom." He said before grabbing a papaya and Kerchak nodded his own gratitude. They all sat down to enjoy their lunch, and Kala grinned as she listened to ask question after question about what he had been shown so far.

Kerchak was just as pleased as his son about how the lesson had gone so far, though there were some kinks that they would need to work through. As they ate he spent planning what next he wanted to teach the young boy. After their meal Kerchak and Tarzan went back to their lesson with the elder gorilla encouraging his son to be clever with his moves rather relying on strength.

They spent a little more time on it before Kerchak decide they had done enough for the day and sent Tarzan to go play with his friends. The gorilla leader then did his typical routine of checking on everyone before he made his way over to where his mate was and sit right next to her, before nuzzling her lightly. They stayed there for a while, just enjoying each other's company and Kerchak found himself pondering the happiness he felt at that moment.

His mind drifted to a time in his life when he didn't think he would feel this kind of happiness again, the months after they had lost their first son. He could still remember the absolute joy he had felt he had felt when Kamau had been born and the precious few weeks they had with him. Then there had been the desolation that had hit when he was killed and the self-loathing he had gone through from failing to protect his child.

His was not only Kamau father, but the leader of the group, it was his job to keep them safe and he lapsed in his duty and his son had died. Tarzan arrival had brought a new light into their lives and had been exactly what both him and Kala had needed to recover. While he knew neither of them would ever forget their first son, he was happy to focus on his life with their second one.

Kerchak eventually pulled away from Kala when he noticed how late it was getting. The sky had started to darken and he wanted make sure everyone got plenty sleep that night as he had rather long journey in mind for tomorrow. He told her to go find a good place for their own nest before going to announce to the others that it was nesttime. As he was doing so, he saw his son who was still playing with his friends and couldn't help but notice that his son's movements were just a little more thought out and confident then before.

He smiled a little as he called his son over to him and sent the rest of the children to their families. Together they made their way through the camp, finally coming upon Kala, who had appeared to have just finished the nest. He nudged Tarzan towards it, with the boy protesting that he wasn't tired. Kala hushed him, as she pulled him close to her. Kerchak wrapped his arm around them in a protective embrace. The last thought he had before he fell asleep was that he was determined to not fail his family again.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own the characters or anything but the story. Okay before we get into the chapter I want to answer a an issue Fox Teen had with the last chapter. The reason I did it in Kala's pov was to avoid needing to state anything specific about what was being taught. I don't actually have any real knowledge on wrestling or fighting whether it be human or gorilla and I didn't think I could write about the actual lesson without sounding awkward or having do quite a bit of research. I'm sorry if the chapter was a bit lacking to you but I did the best I could. Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter and feel free to voice any other problems you have going forward.**

Tarzan tried to stifle his laughter as watched his mom frantically look for. While his father was typically up quite early to preform his duties as leader, it was very rare for Tarzan to wake without his mom prodding him to get up. So, it was understandable or her to be shocked for her not find him beside her when she woke up.

He brushed his hair out of his face before he flipped upside down on the vines he was holding and loudly making the sound of an elephant. His mother let out a startled before looing at him in relief. Still hanging upside down, Tarzan laughed before saying "I sure scared you Mom." He then lost his grip on the vines, but his mom caught him on her arm while replying "You sure did."

As Tarzan moved from her arm to her shoulders she asked "Can't you imitate any quieter animals?" "Oh, mom their no fun." he stated while thinking to himself that the best part of imitating other animals was the different sounds they made. He then asked "Want to see me be leopard" before proceeding to imitate the growls of said animal. "Why don't you just make your own sound?" Kala suggested setting him on the ground, which Tarzan thought was a great idea.

He jumped down from where their nest was set going through different, while spinning and rolling across the forest floor. He ended running head first into something large and furry and looked up to see his father standing over him. Kerchak raised his brow as he looked down at him before asking "What are you doing Tarzan?" Tarzan started to explain when suddenly Terk appeared and started ushering him away for some reason.

Kerchak watched them go while shaking his head slightly. While he appreciated Terk friendship with Tarzan, he sometimes worried that she wasn't the best influence. Tarzan got into enough trouble on his own, but the two of them together tended to be a lot worse. He tried to shake of a sudden feeling of foreboding that had settled over him as he continued his rounds through the nest site.

A little while later he was talking to one the older male gorillas about possibilities of where to move next when suddenly Flynt and Mungo came racing through the trees while yelling "WE DIDN'T DO IT!" Kerchak felt the ground rumble and turned just in tie to see a herd of elephants stampeding towards them, knocking down trees and destroying ant hills in their wake.

The group of gorillas leapt out of the way of the rampaging herd, but Just as Kerchak had gotten to safety he noticed a small baby gorilla running dangerously between to the feet of the elephants, screeching fearfully and unable to escape the herd. He didn't even hesitate to race forward to grab the baby just before it was stepped on and roll out of the way with the little one held safely in his grasp.

He handed the baby over to his mother, who gratefully thanked and he gazed toward the direction of the watering hole where the elephants had come from wondering what had caused to stampede. While doing a quick check to make sure no one was hurt, he realized with a sense of dread that neither Terk or Tarzan was there. Kala had seemed to come to the same conclusion as him, as she and some of the others, including Terk's mom Ota, started heading toward the where the herd had come from.

Once they got to the watering hole it was to the sight of the two children with a young elephant. Ota and Kala called out their respective children's names and both kids looked up with expressions that showed they knew they were in trouble. Kala raced over to their son to see if he was alright and asking what happened.

As the two stumbled over their words Kerchak tried to calm the anger that brewing in him. While he knew that neither of the children would hurt anyone on purpose, this stunt of theirs's could of had consequences. "What happened?" he said in a demanding tone when they couldn't seemed to get to the point.

Tarzan hesitantly stepped toward him, past his mother before saying "It's my fault dad." His son wouldn't look him in the eye as he continued to speak "We were playing and well... I'm sorry dad." Kerchak took a deep breath and let it out before saying "Tarzan, you have to understand how serious this is. You could have gotten someone killed." It was an accident. I'm sorry. " The young boy replied miserably.

Kala pulled Tarzan to her then and said slightly defensively "Easy Kerchak, he only a child." Before the leader could respond one of the onlooking gorillas around them loudly spoke up "Kala, will you stop defending that menace." Kerchak turned and saw the speaker was Mato, one of the larger gorillas and father of the child Kerchak had saved earlier.

He glared at Tarzan as he continued speaking in a hate filled tone "That creature almost got my son killed today. He's nothing but trouble and should never been allowed to stay here." Kerchak growled as he moved to hide his son and mate from view and with clear warning in his voices ground out "Don't talk about my son like that."

Mato didn't take the hint, glaring at Kerchak now "Why not? I never understood what you saw in that creature, that you not only let it stay, you call it your _son. _Why can't you see he is not one of us and never will be." It took every bit of control Kerchak had not launch at the other and tear him to sheds for what he was saying.

Breaking through his rage-filled stupor was Kala yelling out "Tarzan!" He spun around in time to see a Tarzan bolt in to the forest and found himself torn between going after him and teaching Mato a lesson about messing with him. He finally ended warning Mato that if he spoke to or around like that then Kerchak would kick his family out, even if Kerchak wasn't sure he'd ever actually go through with it.

He still made sure warn everyone that there would be consequences if any of them was caught speaking disgracefully about his child. He wanted to find his son after that, but Kala insisted they give some space and they could go look for him if he wasn't back soon. With a heavy heart Kerchak reluctantly agreed and hoped back soon.

Sometime later Tarzan had found himself sitting in front of a shallow pond staring at his own reflection with his mind reflecting on what had been said earlier. He sat there examining the parts of him that were different than the rest of his family, the biggest being his incredibly pale nearly hairless skin. He hated how it made him stand out and set him apart from everyone else.

His mind swirled, wondering why he was so different, not only in appearance, but also physical capabilities. Compared to the other gorillas he had the hardest time climbing, he was the slowest runner and while his fighting skills had improved some thinks to Kerchak, he was still the weakest of all his peers.

In a fit of anger he begin beating the water, trying to get rid of the image in front of him. He ended up causing mud to hit him the face covering the skin around his eye. He gazed again at his reflection, and saw how the mud cover a l little of the hated pale skin. Breathing hard he plunged both had into the water grabbing handfuls of mud and rubbing it over his face and chest, desperately trying to rid himself of the lightness.

When he looked again into the water the reflection of himself dissolve into of his mother, who's voice then spoke up behind him "Tarzan, what are you doing?" He turned towards her and saw his father was with her, though he was hanging back a little bit. He walked a couple steps towards and ignored her question in favor of asking his own "Why am I so different?"

"Because you're covered in mud, that's why." she said as she sat down and started cleaning him off. "NO" he said forcefully annoyed at her avoidance "Mato said..' He had to stop for a second while his mother cleaned the mud around his mouth "He said that I didn't belong with you guys." His father came up to them then while saying "You shouldn't pay attention to what he said."

Tarzan begin to get frustrated with them not giving him any actually answer and his mother focus being on cleaning him. He jumped away from her yelling "Look at me!" They had to see how different he was, so why did it not bother them when it caused such hatred from other gorillas. His mother's face soften and she spoke quietly "I am Tarzan and you know what I see? I see two eyes that look like mine." She said this while wiping the mud away from his eyes.

"A nose somewhere, ahh there." she spoke while getting rid of the mud and poking it causing Tarzan to smile. "Two ears." Tarzan laughed as she tickled him behind the ears. "What else?" she asked. "Two hands." responded Tarzan brightly as he held them up. "That's right." She laid her own palms against Tarzan's and looking at them he could once again see the clear difference between them.

He moved his hands from hers looking at his palm, his earlier thoughts coming back. He mother was silent for a second before placing a hand under his chin and saying "Close your eyes." Tarzan did so, as his mother said "Now forget what you see. What do you feel?" She moved his hand to rest on his chest and he felt a steady thrum. "My heart." he said opening his eyes and looking at her curious about where she was going with this.

"Come here." She said as she pulled him to rest his head on her chest and he heard a similar steady sound. "Your heart." His father, who had been watching quietly until then pulled Tarzan towards him and letting him lay on his chest like he had his mother. "Dad's heart." he said with a smile starting to form on his face.

"There all exactly the same. Some people just can't see that." Tarzan, let fingers curl into his fathers fur as he thought about that before an idea hit him. "I'll make them see it." He said determinedly, while moving from Kerchak's chest to his shoulders "I'll be the best ape ever." Both of his parents smiled at that as his father said "I'm sure you will be."

His mother then pulled him from his father shoulder and started tickling him playfully. While he tried to get away his mind was still partly focused on his determination of making everyone see him as the best gorilla ever.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own the characters or anything but the story. To everyone who has been waiting for a new chapter I am so sorry for how long it's taken to get this out but a lot of stuff including a bit of writer block, working and then me deciding to try to update all my stories at one time as delayed it. Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter and hopefully the next one won't take so long to get out.**

Tarzan ran through the forest to get to the watering hole, eager to meet up with Tantor. He and Terk had become rather good friends with the young timid elephant since the stampeding incidence. It had been a couple months since they seen him as Kerchak had them nesting quite far from where the elephant typically were so Tarzan was looking forward to seeing him.

He had asked Terk if she wanted to come, but she said she would meet up with them later. He finally gets to the edge of the watering hole and to his delight see that the elephant herd is indeed there. He saw Tantor's mother near the shore and ran over to her to ask where Tantor was. Before coming to find him after he had ran off, Kerchak had apparently tracked down the elephant herd to explain to them what had actually happened and later he took Tarzan to meet them to show he wasn't in fact a piranha.

The elephant had been surprised and a little embarrassed by their reaction and had since gotten use to him coming around them. Once he got over to Tantor's mom, he noticed his friend was hovering just behind her back leg. He ran over to greet him with a hug which Tantor returned the best he could with his trunk.

The two eagerly chatted about what happen to each of them since they last saw each other. Tarzan convinced Tantor to go swimming with him for a while, something which the young elephant was still somewhat skeptical about, but Tarzan enjoyed immensely. While being different then the rest of family was usually quite difficult, in this one instance it was to his advantage as most gorillas couldn't swim.

They eventually left the water and headed into the woods as Tarzan wanted to show Tantor something he learned to do. It took a little time, but after finding a sharp enough rock and a good long stick he tied them together using a vine before showing it too his friend. Tantor looked at warily before saying "That looks dangerous" and moved away from Tarzan a little.

Tarzan shook his head a little and stated "No it's really cool, watch." He then proceeded to aim the stick at some fruit up in the trees above before throwing it hard. It hit and went through a couple mango before falling back toward the ground and landing a few feet away from them. "Okay I guess it's kinda neat." Tantor said still looking skeptical as Tarzan ran over to the stick and pulled off the fruit.

Tarzan messed around with it for a little while, trying to see how far and high he could through it while Tantor watched from a safe distance away. Eventually Terk found them and immediately tackled Tarzan and attempted to wrestle him to the ground but Tarzan managed to wiggle out of her grasp thanks to a lot of fighting practice with Kerchak. They wrestled for a bit and while Terk still won the majority of the fights, Tarzan managed to pin her at least a couple times which he was quite proud of.

While Tarzan and Terk were wrestling Tantor somehow managed to get in a fight with a small monkey that wrapped him up in his own trunk, which Terk found hilarious. The three friends spent the rest of the day playing together and only when the sun started to set did Terk and Tarzan say goodbye to their elephant friend and head back to their clan.

Once they got back to the other gorillas they split heading toward their respective families, though Tarzan had to take slightly longer route through camp to avoid a couple of the gorillas he now was aware had problem with him. He finally made it over to where Kerchak and Kala were and his mother smiled when she noticed him coming toward them. "Tarzan" His father greeted him "What trouble have you gotten into today?"

Tarzan crossed his arms with a pout "Why would you think I got in any trouble?" Kerchak just gazed at him with a raised brow causing Tarzan to huff in annoyance, he wasn't that bad. He then began to give a run down of his day, though he left out the stick he had made because when he first showed it to his parents, his father hadn't been very happy about it. Ever since the elephant incident Kerchak had been a lot more cautious about Tarzan doing anything that made him stand out from the other gorillas more than normal.

While Tarzan also wanted to do everything he could to prove he was just as much a gorilla as the rest of his family he also had had a natural curiosity about the world around him and the other creatures in the forest. He liked discovering what different things could do or made into. There was also the fact that while his parents had assured him that inside they were the same, it didn't change that on the outside they were very different.

While this obviously didn't matter to his parents who loved him regardless, there were others in the clan who clearly weren't so willing to overlook it. It made him wonder if he could truly prove he could be a great gorilla if they were so unwilling to look past how he looked. Not every other gorilla disliked him, most were just indifferent to him, but he couldn't shake off of he opinions of the ones who did

His parents, particularly his father, had encouraged him to stay away from them as had Terk. Terk had a theory that the more he avoided them the more they would like him, while his parents simply seemed to not want him exposed to that kind of hostility.

Sometime during the discussion of his day his mother wandered took for a couple minutes to grab them some food for dinner, though Tarzan didn't notice at first as he was too busy describing the few wrestling matches he managed to win against Terk. His father praised him while also given him advice on what he done wrong or needed to improve on and he nodded attentively to the advice.

His mother retuned with food and the small family ate in comfortable silence and soon after they finished Kerchak announced it was time to settle down for the night. Kerchak left to do his usual rounds while Kala started to prep their bed for the night. As Tarzan helped his mother gather leaves his mind began to wander with worries that he would never really be accepted by the others.

He tried to banish these thoughts as settled between his parents for the night. He tried reassuring himself that along as he had the love and acceptance of his parents and his friends he would be fine, but that only help so much. Tarzan huddled closer to his mother as a cold wind blew across his hairless body causing him to shudder. He suddenly felt his father fur press closer to his back warming him and he found himself falling asleep with a smile on his face, comforted by the presences of his parents.


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own the characters or anything but the story. Sorry for the super long delay between chapter but things have been crazy with everything going on. I hope all my reader are safe from the coronavirus and if not that you get better soon. Enjoy the chapter, tell me what you think and hopefully I can the next one out a little sooner.**

Kerchak trudged through the forest as always at the front of his family while hardly paying attention to the light drizzle of rain that was falling down around them. The rain didn't really bother him that much but he found himself searching the group looking for his mate and child. When he spotted them he couldn't help but note how Tarzan was pressed rather close to Kala and was shivering slightly from the cool rain.

He wanted to check on his son, but he was trying not to show Tarzan any special treatment that might cause the clan to resent him more than they already did. He forced himself to face forward and continue walking resolving to only do something if the rain got any worse. To Kerchak relief as they continued walking the rain eventually stopped and when he turned around a little while later to check on how his family was doing he saw that Tarzan was no longer right up to his mother.

In fact he and Terk were conversating while trailing a little behind the group, though not far enough that Kerchak was overly concerned. He turned around once more, but only made in few steps when he heard a low but alarming sound. He paused and made a gesture for the rest of group to stop moving as he listened intently. He then heard the quiet snap of branches followed by a soft growl that was coming from behind him.

He turn swiftly and saw the leopard Sabor burst into view and, to his horror, headed directly towards Tarzan and Terk who were still a little out from the rest of the group. With a growl he launched himself towards the large cat refusing to lose another child to the predator. His son saw the leopard coming towards him and he Terk began racing away from the leopard.

Kerchak felt his heart drop as he saw Sabor leap at Tarzan only for the boy to dodge out of the way. He reached them then and launched his body between his son and the leopard using his bulk to slam the cat away. He kept his gaze on the big cat, but in corner of his eye he saw to his relief his son and niece climb up the trees with their mothers and the rest of the clan.

With the children now out of harms way he focused his full attention on Sabor as the leopard started to prow toward him. The leopard lunged towards him and Kerchak move out of the way before twisting back around to bring one of his large fist down on the cats flank hard.

Sabor yowled as loudly in pain before managing to twist away and jump away from Kerchak. After circling Kerchak for a second managing to swipe her claws across his shoulder the large gorilla was able to throw her off.

There was a cry of "Dad!" which Kerchak had to force himself to ignore so he wouldn't get distracted while also shaking off the pain radiating from his shoulder. For a little while the two attempted to attack each other with neither of them getting a strong hit in.

Kerchak growled in frustration as he launched himself at himself at the cat causing Sabor to go slamming in to a tree hard. The leopard got up once again but, was clearly now quite injured as she struggles slightly to stay on her feet. She sent a glare towards Kerchak but instead of attempting to attack again she turned and hightailed it into the forest.

Kerchak just rested there for second feeling tired and in pain before he felt a small body almost slam into him and a larger but more gentle body press against him. Kerchak wrapped his arms around his mate and child as Kala nuzzled him gently and Tarzan snuggled deep into his fur.

Kerchak clunged to his family reveling in the fact that this time he not failed, this time he had protected his family. They sat there for a little longer before the rest of the clan interrupted wanting to check to see that their leader was okay.

After reassuring everyone and allowing Kala to check his wounded arm to make sure it wasn't too bad, Kerchak got the clan moving again. He knew they wouldn't be able to make it to where he planned for them to nest originally with his injured arm but he wanted to move at least a little away even if it was unlikely the leopard would attack again.

Kala and Tarzan stayed close to him as they walked instead of with the other mothers and children and Kerchak felt a spark of happiness having them nearby. It thankfully didn't take to long to find a place that was reasonably sheltered Kerchak called to the rest of the family to settle down for the night.

A couple of the older male gorillas offer to do his normal rounds of checking on the rest of group and while a he was a little reluctant Kerchak agreed knowing he should get as much rest as possible if he was going to recover to full strength.

He instead focused on helping Kala the best he could making their nest for the night. Once done it took them a minute to settle as to try to find best position for all of them that wouldn't aggravate Kerchak's injury. Despite being exhausted and injured Kerchak found it very difficult to fall asleep.

His mind kept returning the time he failed, when he had been to late to protect his family. He had managed to defend Tarzan from the same predator that had taken his first child but he couldn't get rid of thought that he could've once again been to late.

He unconsciously pulled his son closer as though about how he could have very easily lost him today and how much that thought hurt. He didn't think he could do it. To go through the loss of not one but two children was unbearable and he was determined to never let that happen. He would protect family this time no matter what.


End file.
